Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report

April 30, 2012

1. Upcoming School Contact

The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, Virginia has been scheduled for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday, May 2 at 16:14 UTC via telebridge station IK1SLD in Italy. The ARISS contact is part of a comprehensive education plan which will pique students' interest in STEM.

2. Calolziocorte, Italy Contact Successful

On Tuesday, April 24, students from Istituto Comprensivo di Calolziocorte - Scuola Media in Calolziocorte, Italy spoke with Don Pettit, KD5MDT via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Telebridge station LU8YY in Argentina provided the radio connection. An audience of 200 students, visitors and media were present for the event and listened as Pettit answered eighteen questions and exchanged greetings with the youth. A presentation on ARISS and amateur radio was also given to the students. The contact highlighted a curriculum covering astronautics, astronomy, radio techniques and English.

3. New Proposal Cycle for ARISS-US Contacts

NASA Teaching From Space (TFS) office has announced a new proposal cycle for ARISS-US contacts. Proposals may be submitted through July 2, 2012 for contacts that will be scheduled in the November 1, 2012 - May 1, 2013 timeframe. Four informational sessions will be held to answer any questions concerning the proposal process. To attend a session or to have questions answered, contact TFS at JSC-TFS- ARISS@mail.nasa.gov or call 281-244-1919.

For more information, see the TFS Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/students/ariss.h tml

4. ARRL QST

In the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) May QST column titled "Up Front" is a short article about the upcoming Dayton Hamvention. The article features the highlight of last year -- where Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC, participated in ARRL and AMSAT activities at Hamvention, in particular, spending a lot of time with young people to interest them in technology and Amateur Radio. There is a good-sized photo of Doug with a crowd of kids.